Eyeglass case

ABSTRACT

An eyeglass case is disclosed wherein the eyeglass lenses may be cleaned without need for the fingers to touch the lenses. The eyeglass case construction permits the user to insert his fingers to clean the lenses without the fingers in direct contact with the lenses. The case construction is of low cost, disposable material so that after exhaustion of the cleansing surfaces, the case may be disposed and a fresh case utilized.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to eyeglass cases. More specifically, thisinvention relates to eyeglass cases which provide for cleaning of theeyeglass lenses.

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART

Heretofore it was known in the art to attach cleaning cloths or tissuesto an eyeglass case, and with opening of the case, the eyeglasses andcleaning tissues would then be removed from the case and used as onewould normally use a cleaning sheet. Typical of such prior constructionare U.S. Pat. Nos. 410,798 to C. R. Long; 1,025,372 to H. V. Conrad;1,105,069 to E. F. Flanagan; 1,242,187 to H. A. Hayden; 2,332,266 to H.R. Segal; 2,522,909 to F. F. Wadanoli; 2,554,630 to J. R. Miller and3,921,797 to S. S. Platt.

While such prior art constructions permitted lense cleaning, theeyeglass case had to be opened and generally, the eyeglasses had to beextensively handled in an attempt to engage the lenses with the cleaningcloth or tissue. Another drawback was that the cleaning tissues, unlesscontained within a closed case would be readily subject to being lost.Further, it was generally difficult to make a combination of case andcleaner of sufficiently inexpensive construction so as to be disposablein its entirety, and the art was therefore directed to replacement ofthe cloths or tissues or provision of a large plurality of same withinthe body of the case.

Now there is provided by the present invention an eyeglass caseconstruction which permits cleaning of the lenses without removal oftissues from the case, and without handling the lenses, and yet lendsitself to disposability of the entire case with depletion of thecleaning surfaces.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to providean improved eyeglass case which permits cleaning of the eyeglass lenseswithout removal of the cleaning elements from the case body.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an eyeglasscase as aforesaid wherein the case in its entirety is readilydisposable.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an eyeglasscase wherein the lenses may be cleaned without direct contact with thefingers.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a case asaforesaid which both protects the eyeglasses and yet is sufficientlyflexible to be stored in a pocket.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an eyeglasscase as aforesaid which is made of low cost, inexpensive materials andyet is safe and practical in use.

The aforesaid as well as other objects and advantages as will becomeapparent from a reading of the following description, the adjoinedclaims and the drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the eyeglass case containing apair of eyeglasses;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the glasses being cleaned.

Referring to the FIGURES, there is shown the eyeglass case of thepresent invention generally referred to as numeral 10. Case 10 comprisesa front plastic member 11 with a clear plastic flap 12 which flap hassleeve 13 for receiving a card such as an identification card (notshown). The underside fold 12a of flap 12 can engage the top pocket edge(not shown) of the user when the bottom 14 of case 10 is inserted into ashirt or coat pocket. At the top 15 of case 10, there is a pocket 16formed by cloth 17 attached to member 11 on three sides by stitching 18or other suitable bonding means. Pocket 16 has a slot 19 into which apair of folded eyeglasses 20 is received so as to reside in pocket 16.

A flexible sheet of stretchable rubber 21 such as surgical rubber, isattached to the opposite side 22 of cloth 17 by stitching 18 on threesides so as to form a second pocket 23. Pocket 23 is formed with slot 24at the top so as to receive the fingers of the user for purposeshereinafter more fully explained.

A Velcro portion 25 is attached by suitable bonding means to rubbersheet 21 at the top 26, sides 27, 28 and bottom 29. And a flexible metalhinge 30 is fixedly mounted to case edge 31 by suitable bonding means.The other end 32 of hinge 30 is formed with a Velcro pad 33 forcontacting top Velcro portion 26, so that hinge 30 is selectivelyattachable to the back 34 of the case.

A cleaning cloth 35 is folded on itself at 36 and 40 so as to form atransverse open pocket 37. Surfaces 35a and 35b of cloth 35 arespecifically treated such as with silicone and serve as cleaningsurfaces. A pair of Velcro bands 37 and 38 are attached to surface 39 ofcloth 35 and the top and bottom thereof respectively. Fold 40 is formedwith stitching 41 so as to form a sleeve 42 into which hinge 30 isslidably received. Bands 37 and 38 are releasably attached to respectiveportions of Velcro sections 26, 27, 28 and 29 with free edge 47 beingselectively attached on the back of the case, so that the size of pocket37 is adjustable, for purposes hereinafter appearing.

In use, the folded eyeglasses are removed from pocket 16, and theeyeglasses unfolded. The eyeglass lens 48 is then inserted into cleaningpocket 37 and held by fingers such as the thumb, on cloth surface 49.The other fingers, such as the middle fingers of the user are insertedinto a second pocket 23 with the tips of the finger pressingly engagingrubber sheet 21 which in turn, presses against cloth surface 39. Themovement of the fingers causes cleaning surface 35b to contact thelenses. With rubbing of the rubber sheet the lens is thus effectivelycleaned without having to contact the lense with the finger and withouthaving to remove the cleaning cloth from the back of the case.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, front plastic member11 may be removed and second pocket 23 sized to receive the eyeglassesas well as, alternatively, the fingers of the user.

Also, it is to be borne in mind that the respective sheet members, towit, top plastic sheet, intermediate cloth (optional), rubber sheet, andcleaning cloth surfaces may be fixedly inexpensively stitched to eachother, while still forming the necessary pockets. In this manner ofconstruction, the eyeglass case lends itself to ready disposal afterexhaustion of the cleaning surfaces.

In a preferred construction the top plastic sheet may be less flexiblethan the other sheet so as to for a protective cover when the case isinserted in the user's pocket.

While the present invention has been described herein with reference toparticular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, variouschanges and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, andin some instance some features of the invention will be employed withouta corresponding use of other features without departing from the scopeof the invention as set forth.

What I claim is:
 1. An eyeglass case comprising a case being formed witha first pocket for receiving a pair of folded eyeglasses, a flexiblesheet attached to said case so as to form a second pocket for receivingthe fingers of the user so that the fingers press against said flexiblesheet, and cleansing means for receiving a lens of the unfolded glasses,said cleaning means being attached adjacent to said flexible sheet,whereby the lens of the unfolded glasses may be engaged by the cleaningmeans with the fingers pressing the flexible sheet so as to in turnpress the cleaning means against the lens.
 2. The eyeglass case of claim1, said cleaning means comprising a cloth folded on itself so as to forman open cleaning pocket for said lens, said cleaning pocket beingtransversely disposed to said other pockets and wherein one surface ofsaid cloth is facingly disposed to said flexible sheet.
 3. The eyeglasscase of claim 2, said flexible sheet comprising a stretchable materialso as to be stretched by said fingers to contact said cloth.
 4. Theeyeglass case of claim 2, further comprising Velcro means operativelyassociated with the flexible sheet and the cleaning cloth surfacefacingly disposed therewith so that said cloth is releasably attached tosaid case.
 5. The eyeglass case of claim 4, further comprising a hingemounted to said case and transversely disposed thereto so as to engagethe folded portion of the cloth so that said cloth may be adjustableabout said hinge.
 6. The eyeglass case of claim 1, wherein said flexiblesheet comprises stretchable rubber.
 7. An eyeglass case comprising apair of opposed members, said members being attached so as to form apocket sized to receive a pair of folded eyeglasses, one of said memberscomprising a stretchable material, and a lens cleaning sheet attached tosaid case and being opposed to said stretchable material, whereby withthe eyeglasses removed, the fingers of the user may be inserted andagainst said material to in turn press the cleaning sheet against thelens of the eyegalsses.
 8. The eyeglass case of claim 7, wherein saidcleaning sheet is folded on itself to form a slot for receiving the lensof the unfolded eyeglasses within the folded sheet.
 9. The eyeglass caseof claim 7, wherein said stretchable material is a sheet being of aboutthe same area of the cleaning sheet opposed thereto.
 10. The eyeglasscase of claim 7, wherein said stretchable material comprises a rubber.